Gauge



W. AMES Sept. 14, 1937.

GAUGE Filed NOV. 22, 1933 lili/ll. n

r [im Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES- PATE-NT OFFICE 19 Claims.

My invention relates to gauges, and particularly but not exclusively to so-called d ial micrometei` gauges.

The invention, which has among its objects the provision of a gauge which will stand rough usage, will be best understood from the followingr description when read in the light of the accompanying drawing, while the scope of the inventionwill be more particularly pointed out in the l appended claims.

In the drawingz- Figure 1 isa rear elevation of a gauge, constructed according to the invention, with the back plate removed; i Y' Y Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 with parts shown in elevation and with the back plate in position;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the rear side of the front plate with part of the mechanism carried by said plate removed;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 with parts omitted, the section line 4 4 also appearing on Figs. 3 and 8 for convenience in coordinating the showing of these gures;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on the lines 5 5 and G B'of Fig. l;

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of the contactfeeler actuated member;

. Fig. 8 is a bottom view of therack supporting or frame member carried by thefront plate,V a

top view or plan of which member is shown'by Fig. l; and 4 I l Fig. 9 is a plan of the leaf spring acting upon the dial plate.

5 Referring to the drawing, the present embodiment of the invention includes a casing or support having a ring-shaped casing member and a back plate 3 removably secured to the casing member by a plurality of screws 5, the screw 40 nimes for which latter are indicated at 1 in Fig. 1. At the front side ofA the casing is a front'plate il removably secured to the casing member I vby a plurality of screws which, as is apparent from the drawing, are readily accessible'when the back 4 plate is removed.

Herein the gauge is provided with a bezel ring I3 which carries the crystal |5. As shown, the bezel ring is formed interiorly with a reduced diameter portion I'l which ts overthe casing 50 member the shoulder I9 `on the bezel ring,l formed as a result of this reduced diameter portion, resting on the outer surface of the front plate S. f For rotatably and removably securing the bezel i5 ring tothe front plate, the former is formed with an interior annular groove 2| adapted to receive the end portions of a plurality of retaining members 23 carried by the front plate. As shown, the inner face of thefro'ntfplate isformed withY radially extending grooves 25 Vin which the retaining members 23 slidably lit.l Eachv retaining member is adapted to be clamped to the front' plate by a set screw 2l tapped into the retaining member, .the set screw extending through a radially extending slot 29l in the front plateV and.A having its head 3i] at the inner side of the latter.' When the retaining 'rnen'lbe'rs are clamped'in their positions'shown by Figs. 1and5'of the drawing,` the bezel will be rotatably securedV to the front plate. By loosening the' screws 21 the re-V taining members may be slid `radially toward the center of the front plate into their positions shown by Fig. 3, so as to withdraw the retaining members from the annular groove 2|, which will permit the bezel ringto be removed from the front plate. j

` As shownthe dial plate 3| of theV gauge is received in the reduced diameter portion 33 of the bezel, ring with its edges abutting against the shoulder 35. The triangular shaped leaf spring 25 3l, inserted between the vdial plate and the front plate, holdsthe dial plate frictionally in engagement'with the shoulder 35, so that when the bezel ring is rotated relative to the front plate and casing member the dial plate will rotate with it. In this way the indicator hand or member39 may beV adjusted relative to lthe'dial plate for initially setting the indicator hand on the vzero mark of the dial, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.A

In the present form of gauge, the indicator' hand 39 is mounted on a rotatable post 4| (Figs. 2 and 4) to which is xed acenter pinion 43 meshing with a gear xed to a spindle 41.Y The spindle 4l at opposite ends is rotatably'supported in bearings49 and 5| formed in the front plate 9 and in a frame member 53 respectively. AsY shown, this ramemember is carried by the front plate, and is secured thereto by screws 55.

The frame member 53, as shown. is formed on its upper side with a rectangular slot 5l in which is reciprocally mounted a rack bar 59 having rack teeth El. vAs shown, the rack is retained in the slotby a plate 63 having a pair of laterally projecting portions 65 which rest against the `upper side of the rack and hold it within the slot.- yAs illustrated, the plate 63 issecuredfto' the frame member 53 by screwsliil,` and is formed at one end f with a` projecting portion B'l'jto 'which' is. secured one endV of a spring '65,` the otherv end of which urements.

latter is attached at 1I to the rack so as to urge the rack downwardly with the gauge in the position shown by Fig. 1.

Meshing with the teeth 6I of the rack is a rack pinion 13 xedly secured to an internal sleeve 15 rotatably mounted on the spindle 41. Fixedly secured to the lower end of the sleeve 15 is a radially projecting arm 11 which cooperates with a vertically extending pin 19 carried by the gear 45.

In the present embodiment of the invention the front plate has rotatably mounted thereon a gear BI which meshes with the center pinion 43, the

gear being urged to rotate by a hair spring 83 rin such direction as will rotate the gear 45, through the center pinion 43, to cause the arm 11 normally to Contact with the pin 19 carried .by the gear 45. As shown, the hair spring is attached at its inner end (Fig. 3) to the hub 84 of the gear 8|, and at its outer end (Fig. 8) to the frarnemember 53 at 85.

As shown, the casing member I is provided with a lateral screw threaded perforation 85, into which is removably screw threaded an elongated guide member 81. Reciprocally mounted in the perforation of the guide member is a contact feeler rod 89, which latter at its lower end carries a member 9I, the lower end surface of which contacts the work, thisk member having the shank 93 removably screw threaded'into the end of the rod. At its inner end, the rod 89 is shown as formed with a head 95 provided with an extending portion 91. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the outer end of the head 95, in the assembled gauge, abuts with the end of the rack 59, with the flattened face 99 of the projecting portion 91 of the head resting against that side of the rack which is adjacent the back plate. This construction prevents rotation of the rod 89 in the bearing sleeve 81.

It will be observed the hereinbefore described construction provides that the entire internal gauge mechanism, and the dial and bezel, are mounted solelyon the front plate 9, and that, after the front plate with these parts assembled thereon is V secured tothe casingmember I, the

bearing sleeve 81, carrying the rod 89 and associated'contact feeler 9|, may be screwed into the perforation 86 to place the rod into operativerelation with the rack. This construction provides against strains on the rod 89 beingcommunicated to the rack, andeliminates the defects of gauges as heretofore constructed in which the rod and rack are made as an integral part mounted'for reciprocation in the casing member I, with the rack pinion mounted for rotation on the front plate.

Further, it has been found that dust and dirt, which collect on the rod 89 when the gauge is in use, have a tendency to Work into and cause wear of the bearing in which it is reciprocally mounted,

resulting in a minute lateral loose play of the rod, which causes a canting of the same when the memb-er 9I carried thereby is pressed against the work. With gauges as heretofore constructed, in which the rod 89 has been made integral with the rack, this canting causes improper meshing of the rack with the rack. pinion, resultingin binding and wear of the gear teeth, and inaccurate meas- This defect isentirely elirnnated by the presentinvention.

It will also be observed that the hair spring 83 so urges the gear 45 which carries the stop member formed by the pin 19 as to move said pin inv the same direction as that in which the cooperating stop member formed by the arm 11 is moved by the rack pinion when the rack 59 is pushed inwardly by the contact feeler rod 89. In other words, when the contact feeler rod is pushed inwardly, the arm 11 tends to move away from the pin 19, and the spring 83 tends to cause the pin to follow the arm. This construction provides, that if the gauge is dropped or clumsily or otherwise handled, to cause the contact feeler rod 89 to be violently driven inwardly, the blow imparted to the rack will not be imparted to the train of gearing beyond the rack pinion. It will be understood that the gauge herein illustrated is commonly made much smaller than shown in the drawing, with the result that the gear teeth are very delicate, yet the train of gearing and parts operated thereby have considerable inertia. With gauges as heretofore constructed this violent inward movement of the contact feeler rod when subjected to blows commonly strips or otherwise damages the gears. This defect of gauges as heretofore constructed is eliminated by the present invention.

It will be understood that wide deviations may be made from the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing having an opening and a removable member closing said opening, a movable indicator member and motion transmitting means for moving it operatively carried solely by said removable member, said motion transmitting means being wholly within said casing and being of such dimensions relative to the dimensions of said opening that when said member of said casing is removed said means is removable through said opening while attached to said member, and a contact feeler actuated part cooperating with said motion transmitting means forroperating it, said part `being carried by said casing independently of said removable member and being operatively separable from said motion transmitting means.

2. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing having an opening and a removable member closing said opening, a movable indicator member and motion transmitting means for moving it operatively carried solely by said removable member, said motion transmitting means being wholly within said casing and being of vsuch dimensions relative to the dimensions of said opening that when said member of said casing is removed said means is removable through said opening while attached to said member, laicontact feeler actuated part operatively contacting with said rnotion transmitting means for operating it, and spring means for urging said part and means into contact, said part being carried by said casing independently of said removable member and being operatively separable from said motion transmitting means. 3. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, aY casing having an opening and a removable front` plate closing said opening, a movable indicator member operatively carried by said front plate, multiplying motion transmitting means comprising a reciprocatory member, which means including said. reciprocatory member thereof is wholly within said casing and is mounted solelyy on said front plate, said means being of such dimensions relative to said opening that when said front plate is removed said means is removablethrough said opening while attached to'said front plate, and a contact feeler actuated part movably'mounted on said casing independently of said front plate for actuating said reciprocatory member. 1

4. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing having an opening and a removable front plate closing said opening, a movable indicator member operatively carried by said front plate, multiplying motion transmitting means comprising a reciprocatory member, which means including said reciprocatory member thereof is wholly Within said casing and is mounted solely on said front plate, said means being of such dimensions relative to said `opening that when said front plate is removed said means is removable through said opening while attached to said front plate, a contact feeler actuated part movably mounted on said casing independently of said front plate for actuating said reciprocatory member, and spring means operatively'carried by said front plate for urging said reciprocatory member into contact with said contact feeler actuated part. -Y

5. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing having an opening and a removable front plate closing said opening, a movable indicator member operatively carried by said front plate, multiplying motion transmitting means comprising a reciprocatory member, which means including said reciprocatory member thereof is wholly within said casing and is mounted solely on said front plate, said means being of such dimensions relative to said opening that when said front plate is removed said means is removable through said opening while attached to said front plate, a bezel rotatably mounted on said 'front plate and removable therewith, and means readily accessible from the side of said casing opiposite said front plate for 'removably securing the latter to said casing. Y

6. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a, supporting memb-er formed to provide a casing, a removable front plate for the latter, an indicator member and a train of gearing for actuating the same carried by and removable with said front plate, said train being positioned Within said casing and including a reciprocatory rack, said supporting member being also formed to provide a removable guide member having a perforation opening into the interior of `said casing, a contact feeler actuated part reciprocally `mounted in said perforation in abutting laterally displaceable relation with said rack,` and spring means for urging said rack into abutting contact with said contact feeler actuated part. Y

7. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing having a perforated wall, an indicator member operatively carried by said casing, a motion transmitting train including a reciprocatory member in said casing operatively carried thereby, a guide member removably carried by said casing co-aXially with the perforation thereof, and a contact feeler actuated part separate from said* reciprocatory member recprocally mounted upon said guide member for moving said reciprocatory member, said contact feeler actuated part being removable with said guide member While said reciprocatory member is in said casing.

8. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing having a perforated wall, an indicator member operatively carried by said casing, a train of gearing including a reciprocatory rack in said casing operatively carried thereby, a guide member removably carried by said casing coaxially with the perforation thereof, a contact ieeler actuated part separate from said rack reciprocally mounted upon said guide member for moving said rack, said contact feeler actuated part being removable with said guide member While said rack is in said casing, and means operative to prevent rotation of sai-d contact feeler actuated part relative to said rack in the assembled gauge.

9. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing, a movable indicator operatively carried by said casing, a reciprocatory member in said casing for operating said indicator, said casing havingfan opening, a contact feeler actuated part extending through said opening into said casing operatively into abutting relation with said reciprocatory member, a-supporting member for said contact feeler actuated part removably attached to said casing whereby said contact feeler actuated part may be removed while said reciprocatory part is in'said casing, vsaid contact feeler actuated part and one of said members operatively having cooperating means for preventing rotation of said contact feeler actu.- ated part. 10. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing including a removable front plate, Van indicator member and a motion transmitting train for actuating the latter carried solely by and removable with said front plate, said train being positioned interiorly of said casing and including a reciprocatory member, said casing having a member other than said frontplate formed with a perforation, a perforated guide member removably carried by said member of said casing coaXially With the perforation thereof, and a contact feeler actuated part reciprocally mounted in the perforation of said `guide member and being removable with the latter and operatively contacting with said reciprocatory member of said train.

ll. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing including a removable front plate, an indicator member and a motion transmitting train for actuating the latter carrie-d solely by and removable with said front plate, said trainbeing positioned interiorly of said casing,

and including a reciprocatory member, said 'casing having a member other than saidfront plate formed with a perforation, a' perforated 'guide member removably carried by said member of said casing coaXially with the perforation thereof,

a contact feeler actuated part reciprocally mounted in the perforation'of said guide member and being removable with the latter and operatively contacting with said reciprocatory member, vand means for preventing rotation of said contact :1

feeler actuated part relative to said guide member.

12. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing, a movable indicator member 'operatively carried by said casing, means within said casing presenting a pair of movable cooper- 1 ating stops, contact feeler actuated means for positioning one of said stops in accordancewith the positionY of said contact feeler actuated means relative to said casing operative to move said stop in a direction which is away from the other stop upon decrease in the distance between said casing and the work surface with which the contact feeler contacts, motion transmitting means connecting said other stop to said indicator member, and spring means for yieldingly urging said other stop toward therst mentioned stop.

13. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing, a movable indicator member operatively carried by said casing, means Within said casing presenting a pair of movable cooperating stops, contact ieeler actuated means for positioning one of said stops in accordance with the position of said Contact feeler actuated means relative to said casing operative to move said stop in a direction which is away from the other stop upon decrease in the distance between said casing and the work surface with which the contact feeler contacts, motion transmitting means connecting said other stop to said indicator member, spring means for yieldingly urging said other stop toward the iirst mentioned stop, and spring means acting yieldingly to urge the rst mentioned stop toward the other stop under a greater force than that exerted by the rst mentioned spring means on sai-d other stop.

14. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing, a reciprocatory contact feeler actuated part projecting from said casing, a movable indicator member operatively carried by said casing, means within said casing comprising a pair of cooperating stop members, means for positioning one of said stop members in accordance with the position of said contact feeler actuated part relative to said casing operative to move said stop member in a direction which is away from the other stop member upon inward movement of said part relative to said casing, a train of gearing connecting said other stop member to said indicator member, and spring means operating on said gearing for yieldingly urging the last mentioned stop member toward the rst mentioned stop member.

15. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a rack, a pinion meshing with said rack, an indicator member, gearing connecte-d to said member for moving it, cooperating stop members associated with and moved by said pinion and gearing respectively, a contact .feeler for moving said rack in one direction and spring means for moving it in the opposite direction, said stop members being so arranged that when said rack is moved by said contact feeler it tends to move the stop associated with said pinion away from the other st-o-p, and spring means associated with said gearing for causing said gearing to urge its associated stop into contact with the stop associated with said pinion.

16. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a support; a reciprocatory rack, contact feeler means for moving said rack in one direction, an indicator member, and gearing connecting said rack and indicator member, all carried by said support; said gearing comprising a rack pinion meshing with said rack and a gear coaxial with said pinion but mounted for rotation independently thereof, which gear is operatively connected to said indicator member for moving it; spring means acting on said gearing operative -to cause said gear to rotate in the same direction as said rack pinion when said `rack is moved by said contact feeler means, and means forming a pair of cooperating stops one movable with said rack pinion and the other with said gear, said stops being so arranged that when said rack is moved by said contact feeler means the stop movable with said rack pinion tends to move away from the other stop.

17. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing member, a removablevfront plate for said casing member, a bezel and dial plate operatively rotatably mounted upon and removable with said front plate, an indicator hand cooperating with said dial plate also operatively mounted upon and removable with said front plate, a contact feeler actuated part operatively mounted solely upon said casing member, a reciprocatory rack member and a train of gearing operatively mounted solely upon and removable with said front plate for transmitting motion of said contact feeler actuated part to said indicator hand, and an operative connection between said rack member and said contact feeler actuated part permitting lateral displacement of one relative to the other, whereby said front plate and the enumerated mechanism mounted thereon may be assembled as a unit independently of said casing member.

18. A dial micrometer gauge having, in combination, a casing member, a removable front plate for said casing member, a bezel and dial plate operatively rotatably mounted upon and removable with said front plate, an indicator hand cooperating with said dial plate also operatively mounted upon and removable with said front 1 plate, a contact feeler actuated part, a removable bearing sleeve mounted solely upon said casing member, a contact feeler actuated part carried by and removable with said sleeve, a reciprocatory rack member and a train of gearing operaable with said front plate, a contact feeler ac-,UI

tuated part mounted solely upon a member of said casing other than said front plate, a reciprocatory member and cooperating motion transmitting means operatively mounted upon and removable with said front plate for transmitting motion of said contact feeler actuated part to said indicator hand, said reciprocatory member and contact feeler actuated part being so constructed as to abut with each other in the assembled device vto permit removal of said front plate with the enumerated parts mounted thereon, and spring means for urging said reciprocatory member into contact with said contact feeler actuated part. WARREN AMES. 

